STARGAZERS are in for a treat this weekend with one of the most famous meteor showers in the world being visible.

The Perseid Meteor Shower is a stunning event which sees bright streaks of light shoot across the sky.

The annual shower actually started on July 17 and can be seen until August 24 – however the best time to view the fantastic display is this weekend.

It will hit its peak on the night of Saturday, August 12 and in the early hours of Sunday, August 13.

The shower will feature up to 100 meteors – or shooting stars – an hour.

What is the Perseid Meteor Shower?

Named after the Perseus constellation, which is the point from which they appear to come from in the night sky, the Perseids are pieces of debris from the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle.

Meteors are bright streaks of light that shoot across the sky so fast they can be seen in the blink of an eye. Commonly known as shooting stars, they can sometimes turn into bright fireballs that can last a few seconds.

According to the Met Office, Perseid Meteors tend to be brighter than most, so this shower is ideal for anyone wishing to see their first “shooting star”.

Due to the perspective from which spectators watch the shower from the earth, the meteors you see – if you’re lucky enough – will appear to emerge from a single point in the sky known as the “shower radiant”.

This will be made up of several meteors, which are the result of a particle the size of a grain of sand vaporising in Earth’s atmosphere.

There will, however, be some larger and more impressive than this within the shower radiant.

Those that are larger than a grape will produce a fireball, often accompanied by an afterglow known as a meteor train – a column of ionised gas that fades from view as it loses energy.

When is the best time to see the Perseid meteor shower?

Experts say that the best place to spot the Perseids is in the Northern hemisphere.

However, you’ll be in for a long night as those hoping to catch a glimpse of them will have to either stay up late or wake up very early.

The best time to spot the display is between 1am and before the onset of dawn twilight.

Stargazers are warned that they should allow 15-20 minutes for their eyes to get used to the dark.

Between August 12-13 there will be up to 100 meteors visible per hour.

There will also be good rates either side of the peak shower between August 11-12 and August 13-14.

Where is the best place to see the Perseid meteor shower?

To increase your chances of spotting the Perseids you should aim for a spot away from bright lights – the darker the location, the better.

It is best to head away from the town centres for your best chance of seeing the spectacle.

The Met Office advises that it may take a few minutes before the shooting stars appear so patience is key.

Tips for watching the Perseid meteor shower

Lay on a reclining chair or lounger, or just put a blanket on the floor

Use sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows and take along some food and drink, to make observing meteors as enjoyable as possible

Dress accordingly as August evenings can get quite chilly

You do not need to look in any particular direction as meteors appear randomly anywhere in the sky

The most important thing is to be able to keep looking up filling your gaze with as much sky as possible, for as long as possible

You do not need a telescope, binoculars or any other equipment – just your eyes

If the sky is dark enough you may be able to make out a faint milky way band stretching across the sky.